REPORT
Good management no longer follows the structures of traditional hierarchy. Marie-Claire Chappet investigates the new ideas for empowering your colleagues
ARE YOU A GOOD BOSS? PERHAPS YOU ARE
nodding vigorously at this question. Perhaps you would like to know the answer yourself.
After all, a rather sobering statistic from a recent study by the Chartered Management Institute, reveals that an estimated 82 per cent of leaders are accidental managers: those who, through good work and no-doubt deserved promotions, have found themselves in charge of something they have never trained for – a team of people. For this, it seems, many are woefully unprepared, even if they may not realise it.
‘Very few get any formal education in handling human dynamics at work, but it is a crucial part of the job,’ says Laura Ashley-Timms, a leading executive coach. ‘In fact, only one in five managers in the UK has a recognised qualification in these core skills.’
Ashley-Timms believes that companies have a responsibility to ensure their leadership teams receive training in the nuances of managing individuals. Finessing these proficiencies is more vital than ever. A recent study shows that almost one third of British workers have left their jobs because of poor management. Inadequate leadership can, in fact, lead to unfavourable consequences, such as employee burnout and reduced productivity, while, as Ashley-Timms stresses a well-trained leader can actually boost the efficiency and profitability of a company and cause a six-fold increase in talent retention.
The impact you can make as a leader is profound. ‘It’s easy to underestimate your influence,’ says Gabriella Braun, the director of Working Well, a consultancy firm that specialises in aiding executives in exactly these kinds of relational subtleties. ‘You know you have hierarchical power, but there is a whole other level of influence you don’t really connect with. People bring to their boss unconscious remnants of how they reacted to early authority figures, such as parents or teachers. Whether they were idealised or denigrated will have an outsize importance.’ Even bosses who are overly friendly with their team might not grasp the imbalance of power and could, as Braun notes, be ‘unintentionally crossing boundaries’.
There is an inherent tension attached to any exchange with a superior at work. Think of Andy’s anxiety in The Devil Wears Prada each time her editor Miranda Priestly calls her mobile, due to fear, disquiet or the urge not to disappoint. It is the boss’ duty to put their team at ease. Put simply: your organisation will operate better if its employees are not perennially nervous.
‘You are resp
